The US Treasury on Friday announced sanctions on 10 entities that it says played a role in procuring weapons and components for Iran's drone and missile programmes.
Chinese companies are among the entities targeted by the measures, which were announced just days before a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to take place.
According to the Treasury, the targeted individuals and companies "are enabling efforts by Iran's military to secure weapons, as well as raw materials with applications in Iran's Shahed‑series unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and ballistic missile program."
Other affected entities are based in countries including Belarus the United Arab Emirates.
China's relationship with Iran is a source of tension in relations between Washington and Beijing.
China and Iran are close economic partners and the country is seen as the largest buyer of Iranian oil. Beijing has already repeatedly criticized the US approach towards Iran.
The Iran issue is likely to play a significant role in the meeting between Trump and Xi scheduled for next week in Beijing.
